City of Chicago set to expand TOD benefits

An ordinance expanding Transit Oriented Development (”TOD”) benefits to certain Residential Districts and along certain bus routes was introduced at the December 12, 2018, City Council meeting (the “Proposed 2018 Ordinance”).

Under the current TOD ordinance, properties in B, C, D or M Districts close to Chicago Transit Authority (“CTA”) and Metra train stations qualify as TOD sites. To qualify, properties must be within 1,320 feet of a CTA or Metra train station, unless the property is on a Pedestrian street (“P Street”), in which case the distance doubles to 2,640 feet. Bus routes and R Districts are not currently TOD-eligible.

Pursuant to the Proposed 2018 Ordinance, TOD eligibility is now extended to certain bus routes and certain R Districts. Properties that are within 1,320 feet of the centerline of an identified Bus Line Corridor Roadway Segment (“Roadway Segment”) or those that are 2,640 feet from the centerline of a Roadway Segment and are located on a P-Street will be TOD eligible. To determine a property’s eligibility for TOD benefits, its distance should be measured from the centerline of the Roadway Segment to the nearest point of its property line.

The high frequency bus lines and their eligible roadway segments identified in the Proposed 2018 Ordinance are listed in Tables 1 and 2 below.

Furthermore, properties in RM5, RM5.5, RM6, and RM6.5 Districts will now be able to reduce parking requirements under the TOD ordinance. Parking requirements for TOD sites are automatically reduced by half for residential uses, and eliminated for non-residential uses. Furthermore, reductions of parking requirements for residential uses can be eliminated entirely if approved by a special use, Type 1 zoning amendment, or planned development approval, as the case may be.

The Proposed 2018 Ordinance also requires the City to publish an Equitable Transit Oriented Development Policy Plan within 18 months of the passage of the Proposed 2018 Ordinance to gauge the success of the policy and to consider additional measures for expanding equitable development near transit.

We will update you on the status of the Proposed 2018 Ordinance.

Table 1

Route Name

Corridor

Chicago/66

Chicago Avenue

79th/79

79th Street

Ashland/9

Ashland Avenue

Ashland Express/X9

Ashland Avenue

Western/49

Western Avenue

Garfield/55

Garfield Boulevard

63rd/63

63rd Street

Hyde Park Express/2

South Lake Shore Drive

Jackson Park Express/6

South Lake Shore Drive

Jeffrey Jump/J14

South Lake Shore Drive

South Shore Express/26

South Lake Shore Drive

Stony Island/28

South Lake Shore Drive

Stockton/LaSalle Express/134

North Lake Shore Drive

Clarendon/LaSalle Express/135

North Lake Shore Drive

Sheridan/LaSalle Express/135

North Lake Shore Drive

Stockton/Michigan Express/143

North Lake Shore Drive

Inner Drive Michigan Express/146 (on Marine)

North Lake Shore Drive

Outer Drive Express/147 (on Sheridan)

North Lake Shore Drive

Clarendon/Michigan Express/148

North Lake Shore Drive

Table 2 of the proposed the high frequency bus lines and their eligible roadway segments can be found here.

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